Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-08-19
HANGED.
HOLMES u. PURYEAR. THE WIFE
MURDERER PA Us HIS DEBT

HE WAS TAKEN FROM THE PETERS
BURG JAIL THIS MORNING AND
CONVEYED TO PRINCE GEORGE
COURTHOUSE AND EXECUTED
A HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Especial to the Advanced
PETERSBURG, VA. Aug. T.
Holmes X. Puryear was taken from
the Jail in this city this morning by
Lewis YOungbloOd, Sheriff of Prince
George county, and under strong
guard, was carried in wagon to
Prince George courthouse, where he
was hanged about halfpast one
o'clock this afternoon for the bru-
tai murder of his wife. Under the
laws of the state the execution was
not public, and only few were al
lowed to witness it, and those we're
sworn IN as guards or deDuties.-
Puryear made a brief statement
from the galows in which he de-
clared that he was innocent of the
charge of which he had been con-
victed. After Puryear had been
pronounced dead by the physician
present, DIR. Rowland, his body
was turned over 10 his parents, who
will carry it out to Dinwiddie coun-
ty for interment.
This morning about 6 o'clock he
attempted to commit suicide in his
cell by cutting place on his neck
and also on the arm with the blade
of a knife. The wounds, however,
did not prove serious enough to in
terfere with the execution.
A HISTORY OF THE CASE.
In the early part of January, 1885,
Holmes r. Puryear, son of Mat
thew Puryear, of Dinwiddie coun'
tv, married Emma d. Webb, the
daughter of Dnrkin Webb, of the
same county. He had known her
for some time and had kept her
company since about the preceding
August. A short time before tue
marriage Emma Webb, with her
sister Annie, her brother Thomas
and Holmes Puryear, came to Mr.
". r. McKenny's Office in this city,
Emma informed the attorney that
she was going to be married to
Puryear and wished to dispose OF
: her contingent interest in two hun
drcd acres of land, which her faith
er had decided jointly to his children,
to her brother Thomas TOR s2OO.-
, The latter said that be was ready
to buy and wanted to borrow upon
, the Joint interest Of himselfand his
sister in the property in question
. an amount sufficient to give his
sister the stipulated sum and also
to defray the expenses involved IN
| drawing deeds, etc. Mr.. McKen'
ney arranged the loan, and after
| completing the necessary papers
drew a check for 5000 payable tc
. the order of Emma j. Webb which
l she endorsed, and the money foI
r which he himself got from the bans
t and handed to her in person. lie
a took occasion to remark at the time
that in view of the fact that Fur
. year was 80 soon to become hel
q husband, he was glad that thai
G gentleman had been present during
4 the arrangement and settlement o.
I the transaction. What disposition
the Girl made of the money Mr
: McKenny had no personal knowl
U edge.
t About six or seven weeks attel
a that transaction-it was in the lat
. fer part of February-Holmes ant
:, Emma Puryear came to this city
" They took up their residence at
2, boarding house, and the manner o.
It the Young wife az we'll as the con
q versation of the couple made it ap
! parent to every one that tbey ha'
not been long married. Short,
< after their arrival young Mrs. Pur
1t wear gave birth to child, great!
t. to the surprise of the boarders AM
4 the ladies of the house, and, az
: parently very much to the indigna
" tion of the husband, who clalme'
IL that their marriage relations hat
It not been of sufficient duration {
o warrant such an occurrence. Al
II though his wife insisted that b
M was the father of the child, he a
strenuously denied it, and then AM
- there left her helpless, pennIless
10 destitute. The ladies in charge @
" the boarding house where the I'm
r. fortunate woman was dOmlciled
r deeming their place compromised
insisted npon it that Mrs. Puryea
should Immediately vacate th
premises, and on the day followln
her confinement the unfortunat
woman was placed in a commo
- country wagon, and on a colt
l. bleak winter day, in stormy weatl
10 er. sleet and rain mingling togett
If er. with barely sufficient clothin
n. to protect her from the seasons II
clemencv, started on the retqr
III Journey to Centre Star, Puryear
T. home in DinwiddIe county. Pul
% wear had been arrested meanwhIl
9, and was compelled to accompan
"A his wife home, a policeman actin
as escort to prevent him from ole
II ing violence to the unhappy woman
Id Puryear had only consented to r.
le turn to his wife upon condition ths
Il. she would dispose OF the lntan
u and so infatuated was the yOun
~ wife with her husband, that sb
10 consented to part with her offspring
rs whom she delivered to Emily Blacl
10 well, colOred woman. The chill
ne subsequently uleu'
- During the early days of Marc
~ of the same year, Thomas
- Webb and Annie Webb came
i'll Lawyer McKenney's Office and tol
him that Puryear had institute
suit for a divorce from his wife
that they wanted McKenney
" protect their sisters interest an
y, wanted him to see to 1t that Pu
Is year should be made to suppo
n her. Upon examination it WI
found that suit for divorce ha
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